What are the starting points for learning Tae Kwon Do?

Question

I would like to get my kids started on the basics of Tae Kwon Do. 20+ years ago I was a blue belt with a stripe or two in a private dojo in California. I remember the punches, the blocks, the stances and I've found the yellow stripe kata (first kata I believe) in a book I had from years ago.

What I am looking for is the 'starter moves' you would teach to beginner students.

1. Learn this punch/kick/block/stance
2. Now Learn this punch/kick/block/stance

Is there a simple break down of, say, the first 5 classes a white belt student would learn?

p.s. my problem isn't in teaching them the various moves but rather what moves get taught in what order. Having practiced martial arts for 10+ years in my past I am more than capable of passing on enough of a good grasp of the basics to suit their (and my) needs. However, I remember that certain moves were taught first so as to provide a foundation for learning. That is what I am looking for.

Answer 1

(from an ex taekwondo instructor... now practicing karate only)

Taekwondo was spread very fast and wide with little "quality control", so what gets taught in different dojos can be very varied. I'm sure the first thing some WTF dojos would do is get them turning/roundhouse kicks on those little flappy pad things, but I'll just offer what we used to teach at my old school, which was more in keeping with the karate origins of taekwondo....

We started teaching students a "walking" stance - getting comfortable stepping forwards, turning. Then we'd add a simple punch as they step, a low block with outer forearm, an inward block with outer forearm, a rising block (coming up to protect the head from a downward hammerfist or similar), an outer-forearm outward block, and an inner forearm outward block (which will feel pretty weird to new students). By adding a front kick, they can start simple three step sparring - one moving forward repeating either the punch or the kick three times while the other retreats and blocks, then reverse. You can introduce the concept of closing the opponent by blocking their attacking limb across their body, making it harder for the attack to be continued with a reverse punch. The next thing to introduce would be a back aka L stance - still running through the same set of techniques.

We normally wouldn't explicitly introduce the concepts of hip rotation and power generation for the first six months to a year - they'll pick some of that up by watching seniors and their instructor, but it will confuse (and possibly discourage) the ones who aren't comfortable with the basic gross movements.

Another technique they'll probably enjoy is the good old chop - outward knifehand strike. Inward palm block is another technique introduced early - can be good to keep things civilised if the forearms are being used to inflict pain ;-~.

IMHO - too early for side kick, back kick, turning/roundhouse kick. Crescent/slapping kicks can be introduced if they're doing well - for a beginner, just lifting a straight leg up and across the body from outside to in or vice versa respectively - they're good for learning balance, improving flexibility and a little variety more than practical fighting, but get students visualising openings from the sides and hopefully thinking about exploiting them. (Later on with good technique and knee flex they become viable offensive weapons too).

If you throw in the first kata - that should be enough for a couple months, mixed in with some stretching, strengthening and general fitness exercises.

Answer 2

(Taekwondo practitioner for nearly 30 years, running a Taekwondo club)

I would go with the others general advice on getting them started in a club under a qualified instructor. However, I understand there are places where either people are too far from a club or it's financially not feasible, so teaching them the very basics gives them something to work on in the meantime.

So, we normally start like this:

1) Teach them how to clench a fist properly. Then go in to Charyeot (attention stance, fist at the sides, don't flap them/slap them against the legs, feet together, all toes forward), Kyungye (bow, waist to 30 degrees head to 45 degrees, look down NOT at your opponent) and Joonbi (ready, feet one foot length apart, all toes forward, hands come slowly up to solar plexus open and down slowly clenching until they reach the belt not where they stop one fist apart and one fist away from the belt not).

2) We do sitting stance punching - keep the feet two foot lengths apart, all toes facing forward, knees bent but naturally not forced outward. When punching initially focus on getting the hands right, ensuring the twist is in the last 20% of the movement, then add in waist/body twisting.

3) We teach them three basic blocks - low block, rising block and inward block. We do this in steps - prepare, step, block - for each, then move them on to doing all three steps together (so as you're starting to step prepare the hands to the right place, then as you finish and your foot stops, your block stops). All are done in short/walking stance (we don't teach long stace - Apkubi - until after the first belt test).

4) We teach them four basic kicks. The principle is that each kick is attacking an opponent in front from a different attack direction. So a front kick - Ap Chagi (ensuring proper knee bending before AND after kicking) comes in a slightly upward direction, a push kick - Mirroh Chagi (knee to the chest before pushing away with the sole of the foot) comes from a straight forward direction, axe kick - Naeryo Chagi (swings straight up, knee straight at this grade, then point the foot and pull down) comes downward, then turning/roundhouse kick - Dollyo Chagi (knee forward as per front kick, foot and toes pulled back, then turn the standing foot and rotate the leg so the shin is parallel to the floor, kick out then retract the same way) comes from the side.

After that we often go in to footwork, but this is a bit more difficult to describe.

I would advise not making him wear a dobok and certainly don't think about if lessons go on, giving him any belts. If you can purchase a Taekwondo paddle, you can use it to have him kick something.

Answer 3

Here is a start:

1. How to make a proper fist
2. Front kick
3. Straight punch
4. Back stance
5. Front stance

From there you could build with back fist, hammer strike, round kick. There is a lifetime of learning right there. Keep working on balance, target/aim, power, speed, focus, kihap.

Maybe don't teach side kick, as it is hard enough to learn how to do it right, without having to "unlearn" if you learned it wrong.

Answer 4

What's the goal? If the goal is to eventually enroll them in classes, then learning the Korean phrases and counting is good. If you're just going it on your own, then it depends on how you want to run your training. Do you want your kids to Charyot and kyung yeh?

As for technique:

• how to make a fist. (Roll fingers down to palm, then thumb on outside. Never thumb inside fingers.)
• Ready stance
• Front stance
• Low block
• Middle punch

Once they have that, they have enough to start practicing Kicho Il Bo. (That's the white belt form in my school - here's a video of it.)

The next stance would be back stance; the next blocks would be out-to-in and in-to-out blocks.